Interstitial Cystisis

Were you looking for information about Interstitial Cystitis? Interstitial cystisis is a common misspelling of interstitial cystitis.

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic condition that can cause discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region. People with IC have an inflamed or irritated bladder wall. This inflammation may lead to:

Scarring and stiffening of the bladder
Less bladder capacity
Pinpoint bleeding in the bladder lining.

Symptoms of interstitial cystitis include:

Discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and surrounding pelvic area
An urgent and frequent need to urinate -- both day and night
Reduced bladder capacity.

Although there is no cure for this condition, treatment options can help relieve symptoms. Medications, bladder distention, and self-help strategies are just a few of the methods used to treat IC. Surgery is not commonly used as a treatment (as it does not necessarily improve symptoms). It is generally considered as a last resort.

(Click Interstitial Cystitis for more information about other symptoms of the condition, tests and procedures used in diagnosing it, and the different treatment methods that are available. You can also click on any of the links in the box to the right for more specific information.)